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Jay McBain is a Chief Analyst at Canalys, leading channels research in North America, as well as being an integral part of the worldwide channels research and advisory team. Jay is one of the most visible and respected thought leaders in the global channel ecosystem. He is often sought out for industry guidance and future trends, helping vendors across the entire technology spectrum develop their partnering and ecosystem strategies. He regularly speaks at vendor channel events about major shifts in the channel ecosystem.
Prior to joining Canalys, Jay was a Principal Analyst at Forrester, covering channels and ecosystems. During his tenure at Forrester, Jay developed his reputation as an industry thought leader and was named 2021 Channel Influencer of the Year by Channel Partners Magazine. Jay has also held various executive channel sales, marketing and strategy roles with IBM, Lenovo and ChannelEyes over a 28-year career.
Jay grew up in Canada and currently lives in Florida. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree Management Information Systems from the University of Lethbridge and an MBA in Entrepreneurship, Louisiana State University.
Leverage Ecosystem Recruitment and Visualization tools to more effectively recruit high-quality partners at scale and build thriving partner ecosystems. From AI-powered partner matching to real-time insights and predictive analytics, these tools are essential to efficiently recruit and engage with the right partners for growth.
Discover how joining a peer group or community within the technology channel ecosystem can elevate your business operations and strategic positioning. These communities offer a wealth of benefits, from fostering innovation and collaboration to providing exclusive resources and support during challenging times. Explore the top professionals' communities and peer groups in the channel ecosystem to unlock a world of knowledge sharing and growth opportunities.
Learn why tech vendors are racing to become the platform of choice for customers, and the ecosystem marketplace and integration tools they are using to accelerate platform strategies.
Learn how modern ecosystem influence and attribution tools are enabling vendors to tap into the power of influencers to connect with millennial buyers and cultivate robust ecosystems. Understand why partner influencer programs are important and who the key players are in the Ecosystem Influence and Attribution tools market.
Learn how investing time in reading channel-related books can enhance your professional growth and expand your strategic knowledge. Discover valuable insights, practical advice and proven strategies from a curated list of 55 books dedicated to the channel ecosystem, benefiting everyone from vendors and distributors to MSPs, VARs, SIs and ISVs. Stay ahead of the fast-evolving channel space, hone your problem-solving skills and uncover new opportunities by delving into these empowering resources.
The pressure is increasing on channel and partner leaders to deliver at a new level of scale, complexity and personalization, and to figure out the people, processes, programs, and underlying technology that will drive competitive advantage in the decade of the ecosystem.
In the ever-evolving landscape of channel ecosystems, success requires a commitment to continuous learning and skills development. Discover the top 41 training programs for channel and partnership professionals and unlock the key to maximizing certifications, competencies, career differentiation and growth in today’s competitive (and challenging) job market.
Since 2019, the podcast landscape has experienced explosive growth and significant evolution. Dive into the latest statistics, trends and business opportunities in the booming world of podcasts, and learn how to leverage these podcasts to educate, network and elevate your career in the channel industry.
Channel professionals should view social media as more than just an advertising platform: they should use it to engage with partners at a grassroots level and build personal and professional relationships in between face-to-face events. The give/get relationships within these groups inspire openness and, oftentimes, a bluntness that is refreshing.
Explore how ecosystem data and mapping tools are revolutionizing collaborative partner motions and enabling data-driven go-to-market strategies that optimize revenue and efficiency. Learn about the key players enabling better co-selling, collaboration and ecosystem management, and discover the future trends shaping the rapid growth and evolution of the ecosystem data and mapping landscape.
Channel and partnership-focused consultants and agencies offer deep expertise, objective perspectives, regulatory guidance, networks, partnerships and more. While the importance of agencies and consultants differs depending on specific needs and situations, they can elevate any company in the partner ecosystem, if properly leveraged.
With the increasing complexity of technology and the growing need for specialized expertise, tech vendors are investing heavily in partner learning and readiness programs. These programs aim to create a skilled and trained partner ecosystem that can drive successful adoption and long-term success of technology investments. Central to this strategy is a Channel Learning and Readiness (CLR) platform. Learn about the key functions and players in CLR in this blog post.
Learn why 77% of channel and partnership professionals prefer in-person events and discover the benefits of attending such events, including better networking opportunities, increased engagement and a more immersive experience. Explore the top 270 industry events for MSPs, VARs and tech channel professionals.
Channel magazines allow partners (and vendors) to keep abreast of the rapidly changing technology industry, including shifts in product demand, buyer behavior, vertical growth areas, geographic and economic risks, and segment opportunities. Partners have built trust in their local channel media over the course of four decades, and it remains localized, relevant and easy to access.
As customers' technology needs become increasingly complex, so do their journeys. Today, the modern buyer, on average, experiences 28 moments that lead to purchase decisions with specific vendors. The majority of these moments are with- or through- channel partners, therefore, it is becoming much more crucial for vendors to invest in collaborative marketing strategies to ensure their partners are properly communicating the value propositions of their solutions.
As ecosystems become more complex and vendors work with new partner types, relying solely on traditional financial incentives like volume rebates is insufficient to adequately move the needle. Vendors need a more nuanced and personalized approach to incentive management that enables them to manage and motivate a diverse array of partner types and stakeholders. Central to this shift is the adoption of a modern and robust Channel Incentive Management (CIM) platform to effectively develop, manage and optimize incentive programs that drive a more productive, engaged partner ecosystem at scale.
Partner Relationship Management (PRM) is not dead; it's more important than ever. As businesses shift towards executing modern ecosystem strategies, PRM platforms act as foundational solutions to effectively measure, manage, nurture, and empower an ecosystem of diversified partners. This report outlines the 38 PRM players today, important evaluation criteria and the future of PRM.
Channel Data Management (CDM) tools are becoming increasingly important for vendors and their partners in the tech industry. These platforms offer a comprehensive view of partner data, enabling data-driven decision-making, improved partner experiences, and overall optimization of channel operations and revenue growth.
Generative AI presents a significant opportunity for channel partners to unlock new revenue streams and drive operational efficiencies. With an expected growth of US$158.6 billion by 2028, channel partners can capitalize on this opportunity by offering AI services, developing AI software, offering advanced data services, and reselling, co-selling and upselling AI products with services around them. While these services may generate billions for the industry, GSIs and ISVs are best positioned today to tap into this revenue opportunity, while all channel partners can improve productivity and offerings by adopting Gen AI internally. To succeed in this rapidly evolving market, channel partners should determine their AI strategy and invest in strategic AI partnerships.
Learn why 77% of channel and partnership professionals prefer in-person events and discover the benefits of attending such events, including better networking opportunities, increased engagement and a more immersive experience. As the event industry recovers from the pandemic, hybrid events are the latest trend, while vendors and distributors plan to allocate 31.6% of their marketing budgets to attending trade shows in 2023. Explore the top 218 industry events for MSPs, VARs and tech channel professionals.
Associations are a vital part of professional development in any field, including channel partnerships. These associations provide individuals, partner companies, vendors and distributors with the opportunity to connect with others in their industry, stay up to date on the latest trends and technologies, and collaborate on projects that can advance their careers. In this report, Canalys lists the top 67 most valuable global associations for partners, vendors and distributors.
The pressure is increasing on channel and partner leaders to deliver at a new level of scale, complexity and personalization, and to figure out the people, processes, programs and underlying technology that will drive competitive advantage in the decade of the ecosystem. We aren’t there yet, but half of channel leaders report progress.
We are now firmly in the subscription era. Driven by changing customer behavior and software (powered by the cloud) eating the world, and accelerated by the pandemic, most technology vendors have either committed to or made significant strides to transform their business models.
Canalys analysts give their views on hot topics for the Canalys Forums 2022 in this series of interviews. We look at the role of the channel ecosystem in creating exponential opportunities for vendors and partners.
We are witnessing a once-in-a-generation shift in the global economy, and partnerships play a leading role. Most business leaders across every industry, of all size firms, and in every corner of the world are considering significant business model shifts. They are realizing they can't do it alone in the decade of the ecosystem.
